Disappearing chair or stool for bars, counters, or the like



Jan. 20, 1953 E. w. SCHWEIKERT 2,625,984

DISAPPEARING CHAIR OR STOOL FOR BARS, COUNTERS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 19, 1951 IN VEN TOR. a M JKEWZ/HZTE? Patented Jan. 20, 1953 DISAPPEARING OR STOOL FOR BARS,

COUNTERS, OR THE LIKE Edward W. Schweikert, New York, N. Y. Application'January 19, 1951, Serial No. 206,763

This invention relates to chairs or stools in combination with counters or bars, particularly the latter, and aims to provide certain new and useful improvements whereby one or more chairs or stools are normally concealed in the'face or wall of the bar but may be selectively pulled out for use when desired.

Another object ofthe invention is theprovision of the combination above mentioned, with further provision of time delay means, together with resilient means normally urging the pulled outstool to return to its normal concealed position, for delaying the return of the stool for an interval of time sufficient to enable the prospective user of the chair or stool to'be. seated thereon.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will be clarified in the following description, wherein characters ofreference refer to like-numbered parts on the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose ofillustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction shown.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of thefront of a bar equipped with one embodiment of the instant invention, with the stools in concealed position leaving the front wall of the bar unmarred and attractive in appearance.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing a stool in withdrawn position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlargement of Fig. 2 but showing the position of various parts of the structure when the stool is in normal concealed position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the stools per se.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Referrin in detail to the drawing, the numeral it indicates a counter or bar in the front wall II of which a series of spaced openings I2 are provided extending upward from approximately the level of the floor. As part of the bar frame, an enclosing housing l3 may be provided behind each opening l2. The housing [3 may be provided with a floor positioned at a distance above the room floor, as shown at H, this floor extending from the rear wall of the housing to a. line short of the front wall ll, thus leaving a. space I5.

1 Claim. (01. 155-40) A pair of spaced uprights l6 are mounted at or on the floor of the room and are provided with aligned trunnions I! in which abar or shaft l8 registers rotatably; this support is provided at the bottom of each bar opening .12.

The stools I9 comprise. a frame including opposed side members 20 and a back 2! having a seat or seat cushion 22 thereon positioned at an acute angle to the plane of theback 2 I. A strap or handle 23 is secured to the back 2! of the stool near the upper end thereof.

The side members 20 of the stool, which may be deemed legs, have aligned openings in the lower ends thereof. The shaft l8 passes through these openings and is rigid with the legs 20, the rigidity being obtained by any suitable means, not shown. A sleeve 23 is mounted on the shaft 18 and is locked thereon in the desired position, as by means of a set screw 24. An arm 25 extends integrally and substantially tangentially from the sleeve 23.

Rearward of the supports l6 and extending upward from the same level as the said supports, is another support 26.. For simplicity of manufacture and installation, both front supports [6 and the rear support 26 may all be secured to a base plate 21 bolted to the room floor. A hollow cylinder 28 is supported in upright position by the support 26. The wall of the cylinder has, on one side, a minute vent 29 therethrough near the top, and a relatively larger vent 30 therethrough between the midpoint and the bottom of the cylinder, nearer the former than the latter. At the top of the cylinder diametrically opposite the vent 29, is a second small vent 3| normally closed by a ball 32 urged to close the vent by a spring 33, the ball and spring being held in a cage or the like 39 outside the cylinder wall.

A piston 34 is slidable in the cylinder 28 and is normally urged downward by a spring 35. A link 36 has one end pivoted to the arm 25 and the other end pivoted at 31 to the piston 34.

When the stool is in its normal position concealed in the bar, it is positioned as shown in Fig. 4 and as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. That is, the back 2| is flush with the plane of the front wall of the bar III, as also shown in Fig. 1, and all of the remainder of the frame of the stool and the mechanism described are thus concealed behind the back 2!, within the bar. This normal position of the stool is maintained, as is obvious, by the cylinder spring 35.

To withdraw a stool for use, the handle 23 is grasped and pulled out, thus pivoting the stool on the axis of the shaft l8. Thus swinging the stool outward causes the arm 25 and its link 36 to push the piston 34 upward against the force of the spring 35. The rising piston causes the vent 3| to open, so that air may readily escape through the combined areas of the vents 3| and 29, and, until the piston has risen above the large vent 39, through the latter also. Hence the stool may be withdrawn in a relatively short interval of time. When the stool has been fully withdrawn into the position shown in Fig. 2, the piston will have risen to the top of its cylinder and fully compressed the spring 35. Upon release of the handle 23, the spring 35 of course tends to restore the stool to its concealed position; but since air may be taken into the cylinder only through the vent 29 owing to the automatic ,clojsing of the vent 3|, reverse swinging ,of the stool toward its concealed position is at first minute and hardly noticeable. In this way the prospective user is provided with ample time, after pulling out the stool, to' get seated on it, .Once a person is seated the stool'of courseremains stationary 1 7 After the stool has been vacated, .the force of the spring 35 will, as above mentioned, move slowly .at firsttoward its concealed position, but after an interval the piston 34 will havedesc'ended past the large ventilltoenable" the stool to swing rapidly into its concealed position. 'In the embodiment oftheinvention herem illustrated, the housing floor 14 constitutes'the inward limits'top to swinging of the stool, by engagement of the foot rest 98 therewith when the stool back 2| becomes positioned'flu'shwith'the front wall I I of 'the'bar,

but 'of course any other suitable limit stop means may be provided.

Thus a bar or counter stoolhas been provided which is normally concealed Within the bar when not in use, which may be readily withdrawn for use, .andwhich willautomati'cally be restored to concealed position when vacated. Aside from the desirable feature of having the front of the bar appear neat and attractive when a sto'ol'is unoccupied, another advantage is that the bar is not cluttered up by unoccupied stools which may obstruct access to the bar by persons who prefer to stand. There are also other desirable features and advantages to the business of the proprietor whose bar is equipped in the 'mannerset forth, which need notbe mentioned herein.

Obviously, 'modifications, in form or' structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim:

In combination, a wall having a recess therein, a stool including a frame having a seat at the upper end thereof, the lower end of said frame being pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis positioned approximately in the plane of said wall under said recess, a cylinder mounted under said recess spaced from said lower end of said frame, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder, a compression spring mounted in said cylinder between the head end thereof and said piston thereby normally urging said piston toward the tail end of the cylinder, said piston having a link connected at oneend to the tail end thereof, said lower end of said frame having an arm extending therefrom and having the other end of said link connected to the extremity thereof, the wall of said cylinder having a relatively large vent therethrough positioned between the midpoint of the cylinder wall and said tail end of the. cylinder, said cylinder having two spaced relatively small vents therethrou h near the head end thereof, one of said small-vents having a spring actuated normally closed valve therein, said valve having means including a spring for opening the same upon movement of said piston toward said head end of the cylinder and at any other time when the pressure within the cylinder exceeds atmospheric pressure, swinging of said frame outward from said first-named wall compressing said. spring, and means limiting the movement of said frame toward said first-named wall to a position wherein said frame is flush with said first-named wall.

EDWARD W. SCHWEIKERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Adkins 1. June 20,1950 

